PULP INTERVIEWS: RENWICK

by Patrick McKenzie and Rhea Thomas

After launching onto the Sydney music scene at the beginning of 2019, putting out a string of singles and about to release his third EP,. 22 year-old Harry Moulston, who records and produces under the name Renwick, has seen what was first a prolific hobby fast become a full-time obsession.

We meet up at a cafe along Leichhardt’s Norton Street, just a block or so walk away from where Moulston lives and records all of his material in his bedroom on Renwick Street, the source of inspiration for the title of his moody, synth-driven solo project.

The bulk of his songs are cut from a similar cloth as other DIY contemporaries like Yellow Days, Gus Dapperton, Clairo, and Rex Orange County, all of whom he cites as inspirations and stylistic role models in one way or another. A quick listen to the title track off of his debut EP Easy Love also shows how ubiquitous self-produced indie god Mac DeMarco was definitely another influence early on, with soft, reverb-heavy vocals and lulling synth chords being in abundant supply. That said, Moulston’s ambitions lie in trying to move beyond this sound with his upcoming release.

“It’s sort of my first whack at program music, without too much being program music. I’m not planning to attach a booklet to the release or anything, but the idea is kind of on the nose: It’s four songs that are ‘set at night’ and then two songs ‘in the morning’.”

The imminent EP titled: I Hope You Feel Good In The Morning, is Moulston’s first venture into a recording process that has seen him exercise a degree of self-scrutiny and refinement not seen on his past two releases.

“There’ve been a lot more B-sides or demos that didn’t make the cut with this one. So from a bigger pool of songs, these were the six I felt were the best. Actually, the biggest quality control thing that changed was I made sure on this one that you can actually understand what I’m saying in all the songs.”

Saying with this a laugh, it becomes apparent how the elusive promise of growth in the industry has gifted Moulston with both a sense of humour and humility about his music.

“Coming into this release I don’t really know what to expect. Obviously I’ll be pretty disappointed if it isn’t received well, but it’s not like I’m banking everything on it. The first time was all really new and I was very naive, and then the second time I was very hopeful. This time I’m like ‘Well, at least I’ve got other songs under my belt’.”

Though the potential scenario of a lukewarm response is surely humbling, the diligence of Renwick as a creative machine has had its moments of substantial reward. That’s How It Goes, the single from EP number two: I’m Not Happier, I Just Bought A Guitar, began racking up listens quickly after its release. Spurred by hype across an assortment of indie music blogs and an appearance on Spotify’s desirable ‘Bedroom Pop’ editorial playlist, the song surpassed 250,000 plays some weeks ago. Though Moulston wryly attributes its success to a chorus consisting predominantly of single-syllable words, the track has become a mainstay in his live sets, usually saved for last.

The topic of gigs is an interesting one though, with Moulston keen to keep the experience of his performances ever-changing.

“I’m keen to do the new songs live because they’re a little weird but there’s still kind of a hip-hop backbeat to a lot of them, so I’m hoping that it’ll be less like everyone dancing and more like people swaying.”

The idea of performing solo-recorded material in a live setting is a driving challenge in its own right too. A background in composition and a two-year stint studying classical trombone as a student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music has informed the foregrounded musical mind behind the recording phase; as to the actual performances however, Moulston attributes the synthesis of feeling and technicality to the rest of the band that performs with him onstage.

“I’m much more ‘grand gestures’ and ‘big picture’, so my ideal situation is that I’ve written the songs and can convey the emotions and then the band fits in the little details on top.”

Any Renwick track is certainly an emotional experience at that, with much of the lyrical content revolving around the gripes, paranoias, and anxieties inherent in relationships characterised by love, loss, or something in between. A line from standalone single Learn to Let It Go: “I don’t know if I can love you all the time” Moulston mentions was particularly a source of friction at the time of release. Being privy to these specific recounts imbues each track with a further sense of personalisation and candour, augmenting a familiar synth-pop sound with the attention-grabbing nuance of straight-faced honesty.

Fortunately, the new project carries this feeling over more than ever, with many of I Hope You Feel Good In The Morning’s tracks facing down myriad late night anxieties like an affronting, abstracted boogeyman. You’ll Only Make It Worse, the single from the EP, retains traces of Moulston’s trademark ethereal falsetto vocals, though often lowers into a mid-range whisper during the verses.

The lyrics take a confessional tone, approaching an intimate flavour of paranoia head on: “It’s true / I’m half the man you knew / Not proud of all the things I said and did to you”, lamenting in the chorus: “You’ll only make it worse / so don’t think of her”. The track nestles these reflections in a skittering beat that punctuates a meandering, dreamy melody.

The rest of the EP, dropping on December 6th, takes a further turn into darkened contemplation, bringing the instrumentation with it into the realm of plodding hypnotic bass lines and enveloping synth arpeggios. The ‘night/day’ dichotomy manifests beautifully across the full six tracks, arriving as an uplifting catharsis.

“This time it feels like the actual takes themselves are better, rather than the way I manipulate it…a lot more work into these ones.”

After a handful of packed shows at the Petersham Bowling Club, opening gigs at The Marlborough Hotel and Yulli’s Brews, and a slot in Whistle Fest at Paddington’s London Hotel, Renwick has fast become a formidable presence within Sydney’s live scene. Although looking towards bigger things in the near to not-too-distant future, it’s clear that Moulston intends to remain true to his songwriting process and upfront themes regardless of circumstance.

“I’d like to say ‘next year – album’, but I don’t really want to do an album that’s just a collection of songs. I would never want my first full length to be something I wasn’t truly proud of. Because once you do an album you’ve gotta gig those songs for a while. I’m worried that if there’s some money behind and I end up in a studio next year recording, what if some of the magic goes? I want people to listen right through this one.”

You’ll Only Make It Worse is out now on streaming services. Renwick’s EP I Hope You Feel Good In The Morning releases on Friday December 6th.